If you've been listening to my radio show or reading my columns on this website for any length of time, you know that I believe in encouraging you to think for yourself. That's why I am so upset with the way the Democrats are handling Hillary Clinton's long expected announcement that she is running for President. High up Democrats are literally falling all over each other in their rush to endorse her candidacy. Additionally, some organizations that I thought were progressive stopped talking about the prospect of running a certain progressive Senator from Massachusetts and want to turn her into a wing of the Democratic Party as if she were an inanimate part of a building. Ostensibly, they want to use this Senator, or should I say wing, or should I say Senator Wing to influence the now anointed Queen Hillary the first to run on progressive principles. That kind of talk, even if it is accompanied by the halfhearted phrase “or any potential candidates” discourages any potential progressive candidate from running and runs contrary to democratic principles.

Here are some solid reasons why we need to pick the next Democratic Presidential contender from a vast field of primary candidates:

Because we should pick our candidates, not the media or corporations!

Because no one should be forced to rubber stamp vote for a pre-ordained candidate!!!

Because the Republicans already have their campaign strategy in place based on a Hillary candidacy. Let's disappoint them by running someone from left field!

Because the Democrats should be democratic and give us a choice of more than one candidate!

Because we need a REAL Democrat to fight the bogus Republicans!

Because Billy Boy gave us NAFTA and that hurt working people! You might say that Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton are two different people, I say that she was the real President.

Because Billy Boy's Telecommunications act of 1996 weakened FCC rules to enable the media consolidation that allowed a few mega-corps to own most of the TV and radio stations in the USA.

Because Glass-Steagall was demolished on Billy Boy's watch, turning banks into gambling casinos.

Because legislation under Billy Boy's regime laid the groundwork for sub-prime mortgages, need I say more!

Because we need a progressive President to offset the years of damage that the GOP has done to the middle class!

In closing, let's remember that in 2008 many of us, myself included, voted for Barack Obama, a relative unknown over Hillary Clinton, a known entity. If we didn't want Hillary then, what makes any rational person think that we want Hillary now, even if she is spewing newly minted pro-middle class rhetoric. If the best that the Democratic Party can do is offer Hillary or the highway as an alternative to GOP corporatism, than we must create a real democratic party that serves the needs of working people, the middle class and the poor.

There's been lots of talk about the Trans Pacific Partnership that many of you seem to be mentally tuning out. I have been surprised by the level of apathy on social media websites. It seems like progressives and union people are the only ones who are actively fighting the TPP. That's unfortunate because the TPP is the mother of all “free” trade agreements that has something in it that will hurt almost everyone except for billionaires and corporate CEO's.

I feel that the reason that many of you are so indifferent to the serious problems that the TPP will bring about is that the mainstream media has done a successful job of not covering stories about or discussing the implications of that agreement. The fact is that, for various reasons, the mega-corps that own the mainstream media want the TPP fast tracked because they stand to gain from the onerous intellectual property parts of it that will seriously restrict the free flow of ideas on the internet. Therefore, it is up to me and other alternate media folks to get the truth out before it's too late.

Since enlightenment requires active participation, I am going to ask you a few questions that will help you draw your own conclusions.

If the TPP is going to benefit the average American:

• Why is it being negotiated in secret where the only details that are available are whatever has been leaked? If the agreement is really good for us, why keep it a secret? I think that we all know the answer to that question!

• Why are only a handful of people, most of whom are corporate CEO types, involved in the super secret negotiations? Are they the only ones affected by the agreement? Don't labor unions deserve to have input on an agreement that will adversely affect their members and all workers for years to come? Don't we, the people deserve to have a say in our future?

• How can we believe our electeds when they claim that the TPP will bring jobs to our country when previous “free” trade agreements like NAFTA were also ballyhooed as bringing jobs here, but actually cost us many jobs? How often do they expect us to fall for that lie? Why do supposedly pro-labor Democrats Like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama always seem to join hands with corporate Republicans in trying to foist job killing “free” trade agreements on us?

• How can any politician who considers him or herself a real American support an agreement that gives up our country's sovereignty by setting up a mechanism that lets a foreign corporation sue U.S. regulatory agencies in an international kangaroo court if the agency enforces any regulation that interferes with the foreign corporation making a profit? The founding fathers of our country declared independence from England to become a sovereign nation, how can we allow our electeds to give up our sovereignty to foreign corporations?

I leave you with one final question to carefully consider.
If the TPP is so good, why does it need to be fast tracked and rushed past any scrutiny? I think that you know the answer to this question and all of the previous questions and now know that you have to take an active part in stopping a disastrous agreement before it's too late.

Author

Have you noticed that there's no one on Talk Radio who speaks for John and Jane Q. Public? I want to change that situation. When I go into the studio and get on the air, I say the things that you've always wanted to say. The big corporate interests have their lobbyists, I want to be your voice. Just think of me as your guy fighting for your interests.